Our season-long garden party Summer Fest 2012 welcomes food and garden bloggers to feature garden-to-table recipes and tips. We’ll feature favorite garden-to-table recipes and tips to help you enjoy the bounty, whether you’re harvesting your own goodies or buying them fresh from the market. Fresh this week: melon.

Watermelon is 92% water, making it a great option for using in all sorts of drinks, desserts and even soups. It’s also one of those fruits that embodies the idea of lazy summer days and seed-spitting contests so scoop one up as you enjoy these last few weeks of the season.

This fruit-filled take on the classic mojito from Chuck Hughes features chunks of fresh watermelon and pineapple. Combine the fruit with a homemade mojito mixture, rum, pineapple juice, and a dash of sugar cane syrup.

Watermelons are also a great option for cold soups. For this adults-only gazpacho blend cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes with watermelon before adding vodka and sherry vinegar to taste. Pour into shot glasses for a perfect party appetizer.

With just four ingredients you can make a delicious sweetened fruit juice of your choice. Use a large ripe cantaloupe or honeydew, watermelon or a pineapple and puree it with sugar, mint and lime juice for a refreshing summer drink.

Okay, so there isn’t actually any watermelon in this recipe but who could resist these mini look-alike versions that are actually Jell-O shots? Spoon strawberry and vodka gelatin into lime rind halves and refrigerate until firm. And those black watermelon seeds? Get the look using black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or basil seeds.